Once the official list of players (Roster) that will face the 2023 season of the Euorpean League of Football has been published, we go into detail to break down, by position, each member of the franchise, and thus give four details of his person. In this case, the Offensive Line.
Jonas Hagerup: He began his American football adventure with the Oslo Vikings Junior team. In 2012 he won the Junior National Championship after having a perfect season, being awarded the Rookie of the Year award. Two years later, the Norwegian went to the United States to play for the City College of San Francisco. Finishing his journey in Northern California, he returned to the team that saw him grow. With the Vikings, they were proclaimed champions for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016), with Jonas being the MVP. After a brief stint in Germany, the player signed for the Leipzig Kings in 2021 and the following year for the ELF’s Wroclaw Panthers.
Ben Dixon: Despite his young age, Dixon played for Carnegie American Football for four years, where he managed to be the BUCS national champion in 2019. Also, two seasons ago, he wore the Sheffield Giants jersey, being the Offensive MVP of the competition. In the 2022 campaign, he changed the United Kingdom for Germany, signing for the Hamburg Huskies, a GFL2 (German Football League 2) team.
David Culebras: The young player comes from Las Rozas Black Demons, the only team he has been in so far, where he has accumulated a unique record: champion of the LNFA (National League of American Football) Serie A Junior and champion of the Junior Spanish Cup in 2021. The following year, they repeated the Cup title, but stayed at the gates of the league championship, acquiring the runner-up. However, this year they would not resist, achieving the same double as in 2021. In addition, the Madrid team was champion without losing a single game and accumulated 3,687 total advanced yards by attack, the Offense with the most yards in the league.
Diego Varela: Culebras’ partner in Black Demons, and now in Dragons. Varela has been practicing this sport for four years, despite the fact that it is the first time that he will position himself on the offensive line. The statistics of the previous player are repeated this time, since everything achieved is also added to Diego.
Elvys Núñez: one of the leaders of the line. The Dominican started playing in Barberà Rookies where he stayed for two years. Later, he started with Dragons since the first season, therefore, this will be his third tour in the European League of Football. And each time, he has tried a different position; the first course he did as a Right Tackle, and the second as a Left Guard. Now, in 2023, however, he will be the team’s Center.
Jose Ariza: A globetrotter in this sport in which he has been involved for more than a decade. He started out playing for Reus Imperials, where he amassed 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and over 10 tackles. Ariza has various experiences both at the national level, playing for Cartagena Praetorians or Murcia Cobras, among many others, and at the European level, since he wore the Vysocina Gladiators or Ravensburg Razorbacks jersey. In many of them, he has played both OL and DL. In fact, the first two calls with the national team were as Defensive Line. In his record he accumulates a runner-up in Spain with Reus Imperials, another runner-up in the Czech league, and the GFL 2 championship and promotion.
Mikel Gómez: very tactical player and who leads the playbook by flag. He started playing in 2014, in Santander, his hometown, with the Cantabria Bisons. That same year, he was called up to the Junior and Senior national team. The following season he went to the Gijón Mariners. However, due to personal reasons, he had to give up American football for 5 years. Until, in 2021, at the age of 24, he returned stronger than ever to play in Serie A with the Mariners. The following year he received the call from the Barcelona Dragons and since then he has been in the attack line of the Catalan franchise, completing his second year.
Santiago Yuste: Veteran player who has been practicing this sport since 2009. A one club man that is no longer seen today. Since then he has played in Black Demons, along with Culebras and Varela. Therefore, he was also part of that great team that managed to be the best offensive line in the league. A player who puts team benefits above individual achievements. Coach Sam bet a lot on him, and he has come to show his worth. In addition, he participated in the first Junior European Championship that Spain had as a team in Seville, in 2011.
Iván Rodríguez Hita: player perhaps with a little less experience. He started playing three years ago at his hometown club, Granada, with the Lions of the Spanish Serie B. In their first season, they qualified for the play-offs, and in their second stage, they won the Andalusian league. Iván Rodríguez Hita tried his luck in the Yzaguirre Combine Tour that the Barcelona Dragons held there. The Nasrid player registered some great numbers, in addition to having some physical qualities and a capacity for improvement that makes him be on the franchise’s Roster.
Enzo Biasizzo: An endearing story of Enzo. He started playing American football thanks to the emotion that a Barcelona Dragons match caused him. For this reason, he wore the Vilafranca Eagles shirt and a year later signed for the Barcelona Dragons Academy. It was clear that, despite his lack of experience, Biasizzo had an innate talent. He played with the Catalan National Team as a Cadet and was also called up by Team Spain in a match against Belgium. Just two years after watching that game that started it all, the player is already part of that team that he saw on television.
Carlos Guillén: he has been playing since 2015, where he started at L’Hospitalet Pioners. Later, in 2021, he tried his luck at the Barcelona Dragons Combine, where he excelled by putting up some great numbers and was called up for the Training Camp, where his talent impressed the Staff.
